Jennifer Lawrence's Epic Career: A Look Back At All The Joy She's Given Us

Jennifer Lawrence might only be 26 years old, but her enviable career totally belies this fact. The relatable star manages to balance hanging about with Amy Schumer on various yachts, shots and pizza with stellar performances, and below are some of the reasons we simply adore her.

Lawrence is one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses, she's also dabbled in modeling for Dior. Her public appearances are never dull, so much so she's arguably one of the most Gif-able celebrities out there. We take a look back at her best moments, both on screen and off.

The Hunger Games Franchise:

Lionsgate Films

Lawrence IS Katniss and The Hunger Games adaptations were one of cinema's highest grossing franchises. All over the world little girls — and even some grown women — wanted to be Katniss complete with plait, and bow and arrow.

Lawrence was very dedicated to the role. She worked out twice a day while filming and practiced archery, in order to ensure she was as fit and skilled as a hunter would be.

With her unparalleled acting ability, Jennifer breathed life into Katniss and gave us a truly badass heroine to look up to. Watch again, that moment when Katniss volunteers for her sister and we see the start of our heroine's journey.

The Oscars:

February 24, 2013 : Jennifer Lawrence won her 1st Oscar, she's also the youngest actress with 4 Oscar nominations. pic.twitter.com/iQX9nnZh5G

Jennifer has been nominated four times for an Oscar and she received her first nomination for Best Actress for Winter's Bone in 2011. At the time Lawrence was only twenty years old, a magnificent achievement for someone so young, but she unfortunately lost out to Natalie Portman for Black Swan. 2013, however, was Lawrence's year, and at twenty one years old Jennifer won the Best Actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook.

The next nomination came the very next year, Lawrence was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress in American Hustle in 2014, losing out to Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. Lawrence received another nomination for her performance as titular character in Joy, losing out to Brie Lawson in Room. There's no denying that critics love Jennifer as much as audiences do. Keep up the good work, J-Law!

She's a Self-Proclaimed Feminist:

In a recent article with Glamour magazine, Lawrence talked about her experiences in Hollywood as a woman and how even now, people expect less from her because she's a woman. J-Law had this to say:

"As women we don't know we're at a deficit because we have vaginas. It wasn't until they had a headline like, "Even though she's a woman!" And I was like, "Oh. I didn't know to be looking out for that." [Baby voice] "How did this wittle vagina manage that? I carried a whooole movie." [Laughs.] "How did I do it, getting a period once a month?"

Lawrence has reported that the body images represented in the media are not realistic and how in Hollywood she is considered fat. In an interview with Barbara Walters in 2013, Jennifer said:

"I think the media needs to take responsibility for the effect it has on our younger generation on these girls that are watching these television shows and picking up how to talk and how to be cool," she continued. "So all of the sudden being funny is making fun of the girl that's wearing an ugly dress. And the word fat! I just think it should be illegal to call somebody fat on TV. If we're regulating cigarettes and sex and cuss words because of the effect it has on our younger generation, why aren't we regulating things like calling somebody fat?"

That's a whole lot of Girl Power, and we love her for it.

Such A Wide Range of Acting Genres:

The Hunger Games aside, Jennifer has worked on such a wide range of movies. From family drama in The Beaver, to her Sci-Fi blockbuster role as Mystique in X-Men: First Class. She's worked on psychological thrillers such as House At The End Of The Street, and played a troubled and impoverished teenager in Winter's Bone.

Jennifer starred as the neglected criminal's wife in American hustle and danced her way into our hearts in Silver Linings Playbook as a disturbed, young widow. She's given us style to dream about in period romance, Serena. Jennifer also entertained us as confident and independent Joy in Joy. With such a advanced résumé, we have to wonder what we can look forward to from Jennifer next.

She's Just Like Us!

You can forgive her for the Oscars fall with all that adrenaline going, but the red carpet collapse was just most girls on a Saturday night in heels, after a few too many.

She pranks her friends too:

Josh Hutcherson and J-Law have a great back and forth, and she has no qualms in embarrassing him in public.

Oh! C'mon, we'd all do this to Taylor Swift if we could.

How is this global superstar so normal? We love the way she seems to have remembered her roots and remained humble. More importantly, she's stayed young and silly and hasn't let the competitive and sometimes ruthless world of acting change her. Never change J-Law, we love you!